tips of comb

[Buster]

Quote:
The reading I've done leads me to believe that roosters are more prone to frostbite because they don't tuck their head like hens do, and their combs are much larger. Your hens could very well have black in their combs due to pecking but I'm betting that if it's on a rooster it is due to frostbite.

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
There was a long thread on here not too long ago about vasaline on combs and how it did or didn't work.

I tihnk it has more to do with the humidity and temp than anything. My chickens live in MUCH colder temps than some others, but they don't get frostbite as bad - my roo has tiny little spots - but his comb is actually drying out and looks a little white and flaky - which is probably natures way of helping to prevent the frostbite.
If you have HIGH humidity - more moisture, more to freeze, and chances are your roo's comb will be more moist and be more prone to freeze.
It is it on the tips - as in Jareds pic, that is frostbite, there is a very slim chance others would be able to PECK just the tips like that, without damaging the rest of the comb.

 

[JillsChicks]

I am aching for my pet rooster who has frostbite.on his comb and wattles... He is part white leghorn and about 8 months old. We have had a crazy winter here in western New York. Very cold - sub freezing temps followed by thaws. A week ago it was bitter cold - I was changing frozen water in the unheated waterer three times a day - and today it's 40 degrees and raining... I think folks are right about the humidity being half the problem.

My poor roo shakes his head back and forth. The points of his comb and parts of his wattles have both white and black areas. I never thought about his wattles dipping into the waterer! I even put vaseline on them during the cold spells, but it seems to have done no good.

I'm wondering if he's in pain and if it's best to put him out of his misery... He is my dearest chicken, hopping onto my lap and cuddling me. He loves to hold his comb against my cheek. I hatched him myself and have held him everyday of his life...

In case you're wondering, my husband said whenever he looked the chickens were never sitting in front of the heat lamp, so off it went...

I'll start with some antibiotic ointment, but should I do more?

 

[ChuckenGirl]

it depends how far down the frostbite gets you may have to dub them.
but if its only the tips they will fall off

 

[pacanis]

Boy, I feel for you on the temp swings, since I live close to WNY. 3 hours ago it was "warm", not we're getting a dusting of tiny flakes and things are freezing up again.
Wish I could help you on your roo's comb.
My girls never hung out under the lamps. I kept them on anyway to help the water from freezing so fast and hopefully their eggs too, before I could gather them. Just during the day, so they would still huddle up and roost at night.
Good luck, and IMO, it seems a bit extreme to put him down for that....